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27 October, 2010

Guruji has been nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize

Sri Sri Ravishankar is World's renoowned Spiritual Leader an ambassdor of Peace and Love. Do you know : He has been nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Here are some of His achievements and contribution to the Peace Projects in the World."My vision is of a world that is crime-free, stress-free and violence-free."- Sri Sri Ravi ShankarSri Sri Ravi Shankar has inspired a global phenomenon of compassion and service. A spiritual leader and humanitarian, his programs have impacted more than 25 million people worldwide.In 1981, he started the Art of Living Foundation, an international nonprofit educational and humanitarian organization that works in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Its educational and self-development programs offer powerful tools to eliminate stress and foster a sense of well-being. In the United States, the Foundation’s programs are helping youth in inner cities turn away from gang violence, drugs and alcohol, toward greater generosity and service.In 1997, he founded the International Association for Human Values, a humanitarian Non-Governmental Organization that advances human values in political, economic, industrial, and social spheres. In India, South Africa, and Latin America, the Association is working in poor rural communities to promote sustainable growth, and has reached more than 30,000 villages.A leading figure in human development and social transformation, he is a multifaceted social activist whose initiatives include conflict resolution, disaster and trauma relief, prisoner rehabilitation programs, youth leadership, women’s empowerment, campaigns against female feticide and child labor, and education for all. In Kashmir and Sri Lanka, Sri Sri is working to further dialogue between opposing parties to resolve the conflicts peacefully.Sri Sri travels to more than 40 countries a year to share his message that all the great spiritual traditions share common goals and values. He inspires leaders to balance business with ethics and social responsibility. His teachings of love, practical wisdom, and service promote harmony among people, and encourage individuals to follow their chosen spiritual path, while honoring the path of others.

Sri Sri receives 2009 Culture in Balance award

Spiritual leader and Art of Living Founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, was Saturday conferred with the 2009 Culture in Balance Award in Dresden, Germany [ Images ], in recognition of his outstanding contribution to all the facets of culture, and for his commitment to global cultural balance.
In granting the award, the selection committee attached special importance to Sri Sri's efforts in promoting intercultural dialogue, peace and reconciliation in conflict zones, and ethics in business.

The award, instituted by the Forum Tiberius, was presented to Sri Sri by Dresden Mayor Helma Orosz, amidst a standing ovation. The award ceremony took place in a special session of the World Culture Forum, at Volkswagen's landmark transparent factory in Dresden.

Rich tributes were paid to Sri Sri by a number of prominent individuals, including Nirj Deva, British Member of European Parliament, Prof. Gesine Schwan, candidate for the 2009 German presidential elections and Dean of Humboldt-Viadrina School of Governance, Berlin, and Prof. Bernd Guggenberger, Dean of Lessing University, Berlin.

Upon receiving the award, Sri Sri said, "I share this award with all those people who stand for a violence-free and stress-free society. This award is not for a person or personality, but for a principle that stands for the ideal of a 'one world family and cultural plurality."

Earlier in the day, Sri Sri spoke of the need to globalise compassion, wisdom and humanism in his keynote address at the World Culture Forum, besides answering a wide range of questions and conducting a meditation.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar addresses the World Culture Forum in Dresden on Saturday.

Subject: SRI SRI in SRI LANKA, 20-22 April, 2009

Concerned about the conflict in Sri Lanka and the plight of the civilians, His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar went on a 3-day peace mission to Sri Lanka. He closely interacted with refugees in the Manik camp for Internally Displaced People (IDP) as well as a camp in Vavuniya.
Whatever you need for a good and dignified life, we are there to support you, Sri Sri told the troubled people. The Art of Living Foundation and I are right with you in your hour of need, he assured them. All your children will study and have a good future. This is my guarantee.
While Sri Sri distributed the relief material, many refugees shared their plight with Sri Sri. An engineer in one of the camps said, We will lose our mind, we are going crazy as we are here for four months.
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar conveyed the desire of the Tamils to return home soon to the President of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mahinda Rajapakse. The untold suffering of the Tamils will make any heart bleed. A place that has never seen beggars has to beg for water, food, clothes and for life itself, Sri Sri told the President during their interaction.
The Venerable Bellanwilla Wimalaratana Thero, chancellor of Sri Jayawardhanapura University expressed his happiness on Sri Sri`s visit and said that this augurs well for the people of Sri Lanka.
As part of his peace mission, Sri Sri also met up with several dignitaries including Opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinghe, American Ambassador to Sri Lanka Robert Blake, Ministers in the Sri Lankan cabinet and Parliamentarians with a notable exception being the Indian Ambassador to Sri Lanka.

Spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, was honoured by three cities in the US during his ongoing Fall Tour of North America.

The city of Houston honoured Sri Sri by proclaiming him an honorary citizen and a Goodwill Ambassador of the city, a press release from the Art of Living Foundation said.

In Atlanta, Georgia, Sri Sri was presented the Phoenix award, the highest award given by the office of the Mayor of Atlanta.

In Irving, Texas, October 29 was declared as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Day, the release said.

Meanwhile, Sri Sri signed an MoU with the Mayor of Houston, Bill White to conduct stress and relief programmes in the city. The programme will target city youth, returning war veterans

Peace Initiatives

"My vision is of a world that is crime-free, stress-free and violence-free."
- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Conflicts, rising fundamentalism, and erosion of human values in different corners of the world have been key areas of concern for Sri Sri. Respected as a neutral entity with unquestionable integrity, he has successfully worked to help the peace process in all parts of the world including Kashmir, Sri Lanka, the Balkans and Israel.

Through the Art of Living programs and personal interventions, he has encouraged and enabled many conflicting groups to adopt peaceful means of resolving their issues. Espousing the Gandhian principle of non-violence, Sri Sri calms the minds of aggressors, provides solace and emotional strength to victims and works towards developing long-lasting solutions to achieving peace.

Sri Lanka: Sri Sri has been actively involved in peace negotiations in Sri Lanka. In September 2006, he ventured to Kilonichchi for peace talks with LTTE leaders. His peace initiatives began in early 2005 when he sent emissaries for negotiations with the Sri Lankan President and the Tamil leaders. His visit in April 2006 came at a time of tremendous civil unrest. However, his interactions with locals as well as the country's top brass have been instrumental in changing mindsets. He remains actively involved in brokering peace between the government and the LTTE.

After undergoing special programs designed by him, hundreds of Tamil youth in Jaffna work hand in hand with Art of Living volunteers to bring relief to the people of North Eastern Sri Lanka traumatized by over two decades of ethnic violence.

He was been responsible for the formation of a Committee for Peace comprising Hindu and Buddhist leaders including the Dalai Lama to take the peace agenda forward.

Kashmir: In the last four years, Sri Sri has been quietly paving the road to peace by bringing together all sections of the Kashmiri population. His inspiring vision is altering perspectives among the Kashmiri youth so much so that over 1,500 youth have averted from violence and work towards peace.

In June 2005, when he visited the Kashmir Valley, Sri Sri was warmly received at Srinagar airport by a rally of 500 Muslim youth. The visit culminated in a rare gathering of leaders representing different factions of the Kashmiri people. For the first time, leaders including both the factions of the All Party Hurriyat Conference and representatives of Kashmiri Pandits came face to face in his presence for a dialogue.

Sri Sri recently established an orphanage for children who are victims of militancy in the state as well as those that have been orphaned after the devastating earthquake. The orphanage currently houses 150 children who are provided food, clothes, books and formal education. Sri Sri has also adopted 30 children from Kashmir and is taking care of their education and upbringing

The Balkans: Under hostile circumstances, Sri Sri made a lasting impact in helping resolve ethnic conflict in Kosovo, Bosnia and Macedonia. Sri Sri's programs helped trauma victims in Kosovo to live peacefully within a multi-ethnic society by providing them with tools to reawaken tolerance, reconciliation and acceptance. He also inspired dialogue between Albanians and Macedonians by widening the circle of belongingness from the narrow identities defined by ethnic or national boundaries.

Bihar: Sri Sri's clarion call for peace during his visit to the Naxal- infested villages of Bihar in 2002 resulted in an unprecedented gathering of 100,000 youth from the warring groups of Ranvir Sena and Naxalite groups such as CPI-ML, People's War Group and Maoist Communist Centre. Subsequent to their meeting with him, both sides publicly took a vow to spread the message of non-violence. It isn't a mere co-incidence therefore that Naxalite violence has virtually stopped in Central Bihar, India since the year 2000. Remarkably, in the aftermath the 2006 Jehanabad killings, there was no retaliatory massacre which would have been a natural consequence under earlier circumstances. Instead, soon after the incident, the warring groups came together for a community gathering organised by the Art of Living in Ekwari, the nerve centre of Naxal violence in Bihar.

Despite imminent threats from Islamic fundamentalists, Communist Maoists and other extremist groups from time to time, Sri Sri continues to work tirelessly to galvanise people towards peaceful co-existence in different corners of the globe. Not only has he motivated thousands of volunteers to work for global peace, but has himself traveled intensively to strife-torn areas to heal the wounds of victims and calm the aggressors.

Innovation In Education

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has established approximately 50 primary, secondary and high schools in the tribal, rural belts and semi urban belts of India where child-labour and poverty are widespread. This is a blessing for thousands of children as these schools are located in economically backward areas where the advantages of education are often perceived as low and beyond the reach of the people.

Rural Schools: One such tribal school in West Bengal is located in an area where the nearest school was not only about 8KM away with no road to reach there. These schools are providing free, quality and value based education to the children of poorest of the poor, the underprivileged, the tribal and the marginalized sections of society. The children are provided with a free education, school materials uniforms, and a meal.

Another example of this highly effective initiative is the rural school located in the vicinity of the international headquarters of the Art of Living in Bangalore. Over 2,000 first generation learners from over 45 surrounding villages are given free education, books, uniforms, transport and mid-day meals. Another highlight is that 46% of the student population is girls.

Urban Education: Sri Sri has also pioneered several institutions of learning in the urban areas to foster value integrated education and make the learning process easier and stress-free.

Disaster and Trauma Relief

Another key aspect of Sri Sri's humanitarian initiatives has been to provide swift and timely relief to victims of natural and man-made disasters. Under his direction and close supervision, volunteers not only collect and disburse immediate relief supplies, but also help survivors overcome the post-traumatic stresses that haunt them.

Extensive relief and rehabilitation work in the tsunami-affected areas of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, trauma relief camps in Kashmir and Pakistan after the earthquake, interventions in war-torn Iraq and in the aftermath of 9/11 attacks in New York - Sri Sri's initiatives have become one of the most vital links in any disaster rehabilitation programs the world over.

Hurrican Katrina Relief:

Tsunami Trauma Relief: Risking their own lives, Sri Sri's volunteers have tended to the mental and emotional needs of victims of the disasters. Attending to the trauma of the survivors is the target apart from supplying immediate material needs. Almost two years after the tsunami, Sri Sri's volunteers are still engaged in trauma relief and long-term rehabilitation of the victims of the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka and Nagapattinam, India. Over 50,000 victims have overcome the trauma of the disaster thanks to Sri Sri's specially designed stress elimination techniques. Recent initiatives include the conflict between Israel and Lebanon where Sri Sri immediately dispatched trained volunteers to provide trauma relief to the victims of the war. Such program are also continuing in Afghanistan to reduce trauma levels and stress caused by wars that have plagued the country for decades.

At a time when many people feel that modern knowledge and ancient traditions tend to contradict each other, it is refreshing to come across someone like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar who has been able to reconcile his scientific education with his Vedic training to find a path relevant to contemporary needs. -- His Holiness The Dalai Lama